Transcript History and Culture of China

History and Culture of China
CHAPTER 26 SECTION 2
 I. China’s early history
 A.
Early civ. was one of the most advanced
in world
 B. Many inventions
1. magnetic compass
4. printing
2. gun powder
5. silk
3. paper
6. fireworks
C. 4,000 year old civilization
D. China’s dynasties
1. dynasty: a series of rulers from the
same family line
2. most of history ruled by dynasties
3. rulers called emperors
4. between dynasties kingdoms and
warlords fought for power
5.
sometime ruled by invaders
6. Qin (Ch’in) dyn. one of most impt.
a. 1st to unite China under 1 empire
b. Great Wall built
c. Shi Huangdi had thousands of terra
cotta soldiers made to guard his tomb
7.
Qing last dynasty
E. Outside influences in China
1. often had limited contact w/outside
world (superior culture and little use for
foreigners)
2. outsiders wanted tea and silk
3.
Europeans in 1800s forced China to
open up and controlled parts
4. Chinese angry and blamed emperor
5. some western ideas adopted
 II. China’s Modern History
 A.
Revolution and civil war
1. 1911 last emperor forced out of power
2. China became a republic
3. two rival groups fought for power
a. Nationalist led by Chiang Kai-Shek
b. Communist led by Mao Zedong
4.
violent civil war ended in 1949 with
communist as victors (nationalist fled to Taiwan)
B. Communist China under Mao
1. communist system-gov’t owned most
businesses and land and controls all
areas of life.
2. Mao took control of economy
a. seized all private farms and
organized them into lg, state-run
b. took over all businesses and factories
 3.
Positive and negative changes
a. women more rights; able to work
b. freedoms limited and ppl imprisoned
if criticized gov’t
c. unsuccessful economic programs
(millions died from famine in 1960s)
 C.
Communist China since Mao
1. Mao died 1976 – Deng Xiaoping next
leader
2. Deng worked to modernize and
improve China’s economy
a. some private business
b. encouraged foreign investment
3. leaders after Deng encouraged
economic reforms
 III. China’s People and Culture
 A.
1.3 billion ppl – world’s lgest pop.
 B. Population and settlement
1. 10% in west
2. 90% packed in east
3. pop continues to grow (7.5 million/yr)
a. gov’t tries to slow growth
b. ppl encouraged to wait to have
children and to only have one
 C.
Ethnic groups and language
1. 92% Han Chinese
a. share same culture and traditions
b. many speak Mandarin (China’s
official language)
c. others speak a dialect or regional
version of a language
2.
55 other ethnic groups
a. most live in western and southern
China
b. have own distinct culture
 D. Religion, values and beliefs
1.
religious practices discouraged by gov’t
 2.
Daoism
a. ppl live simply in harmony with
nature
b. Dao means “the way”
 3.
Buddhism
a. came from India in AD 100
b. based on teaching s of Siddhartha
Gautama
c. believe in moral behavior, kindness
and meditation
4.
Daoism and Buddhism blended with
Confucianism
a. a philosophy based on ideas and
teachings of Confucius
b. stresses impt of family, moral values
and respect for elders
5.
other religions
a. Christianity
b. Islam
c. ancestor worship
d. fortune telling
 E.
1.
Arts and popular culture
crafts made from
a. bronze
b. jade
c. ivory
d. silk
e. wood
f. porcelain (highly prized)
2.
traditional painting
a. done on silk or fine paper
b. focus on balance and harmony with
nature
c. landscapes most popular
d. often includes calligraphy
(decorative writing)
e. some feature calligraphy only
3.
known for poetry
a. highly valued
b. appears on paintings
c. also novels and plays
4.
opera is popular
a. tells stories through spoken words,
music and dance
b. wear elaborate costumes and
makeup that have special meanings
5.
traditional architecture
a. wooden bldgs w/stone bases
b. lg tiled roofs curve upward at edge
c. pagodas: Buddhist temples that
have multi-storied towers w/ an upward
carving roof at each floor
6.
popular culture
a. sports
b. martial arts
c. table tennis
d. mah-jongg
e. karaoke clubs